1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a high-pressure water electrolysis apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, hydrogen gas is employed as fuel gas for generating electric power in a fuel cell. In general, at the time of generating hydrogen gas, a water electrolysis apparatus is employed. This water electrolysis apparatus employs a solid polymer electrolyte membrane to electrically decompose water to generate hydrogen (and oxygen). With both faces of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an electrode catalyst layer is provided to make up an electrolyte membrane/electrode structure, and also, with both sides of the electrolyte membrane/electrode structure, a current collector is provided to make up a unit cell.
A plurality of such unit cells are stacked into a cell unit, and a voltage is applied across the cell unit while water is supplied to the current collectors on the anode side. On the anodes of the membrane electrode assembly, the water is decomposed to produce hydrogen ions (protons). The hydrogen ions permeate through the solid polymer electrolyte membranes to the cathodes, where the hydrogen ions combine with electrons to generate hydrogen. On the anodes, oxygen generated together with hydrogen is discharged with excess water from the cell units.
As technology of this kind, for example, a water electrolysis apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-208163 has been known. With this water electrolysis apparatus, an anode side separator which makes up an anode chamber is disposed on one face side of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode side separator which makes up a cathode chamber is disposed on the other face side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane.
With the anode chamber, an anode current collector and an anode side element member including a water channel member configured to distribute electrolytic water to the anode current collector are housed. On the other hand, with the cathode chamber, a cathode current collector and a cathode side element member including a pressing member configured to press the cathode current collector against the solid polymer electrolyte membrane are housed.
Further, a groove portion is formed in a manner surrounding the outer side of the anode chamber on a face facing the solid polymer electrolyte membrane of the anode side separator, and a seal member is disposed in the groove portion. A groove portion is formed in a manner surrounding the outer side of the cathode chamber on a face facing the solid polymer electrolyte membrane of the cathode side separator, and a seal member is disposed in the groove portion.